#jason todd fic rec

[ifyoucandaniel]

I want to thank you for making your list of recommended long batfam fics. I have been making my way through it and I am really enjoying them! ESPECIALLY cards on the table (I also love Dark Matter but I had already read it). Please let us know if you ever get more long batfam fic recs 🥺

okay so ive been waiting to answer this until i had gathered a good chunk of new long fics and ive been getting a lot of similar messages asking for recommendations, so here is another list of my fav long batman fics!

Jason and the Three Terrors by @cdelphiki, 220k, ongoing, T. if i can get you to read one thing, let it be this. ohhh my god where to even begin, this is a fic where jason stays with the league after his dip in the lazarus pit for a little while and winds up being charged with getting damian, his cousin, and his sister out of the league safely. this fic is just so fucking good, cdelphiki always writes such seamless relationship growth and watching jason go from "im dropping these brats off first chance i get" to "im a single mother of three and i need to provide for my kids" is phenomenal. 1000/10, the writing, the kids, the relationships, please do yourself a favor and read this.

A Collision of Masks by Movaz, 169k, completed, T. !! guys. this is such a good dick grayson-centric fic. this is set in an AU where batman never joined the justice league so the justice league knows very little about batman inc. and consequently dick never joins YJ so the YJ team is tasked with checking out a new hero called nightwing in bludhaven and police officer grayson is tasked with helping the team in their investigation :) really good fic exploring dick juggling all his identities and finally gaining people he can rely on! i actually did a bind of it so you know i love this story so much

Life Happens by @cdelphiki, 176k, complete, G. ok so this fic is probably one of the most beautiful stories of growth and love i've read. its about tim and damian being transported from their world into ours where they're only comic book characters and they start to build a life for themselves here. cdelphiki is one of the most amazing authors, im currently going through all of their works, but this one has just stayed with me and i dont think anyone should pass it up. watching tim and damian grow together and seeing damian have a real childhood and just the whole concept of life happening wether you want it to or not is so beautifully done. cannot recommend enough.

Honoring Promises by LananiA3O, completed, 14k, T. okay this isnt actually a long fic, but its one of my favorite fics ever and i need it on this list. if you're like me and you love UTRH aus where instead of sticking around as red hood after bruce threw a batarang at his throat jason fucks off and disappears to live a normal life, this is for you. from dick's pov, he realizes jasons last letter was a last attempt at reaching out and stalks him until he finds out what really happened to his little brother. i think about this every day and wish it was 10000 words long

The Time Before by @cdelphiki, 80k, completed, G. at this point this is basically just a cdelphiki fic rec lmao when i said everything by them was good, i meant that shit. this is a fic where jason is sent back into time when he was 9 years old but still has all his memories from the future. he goes to bruce for help despite wanting to do literally anything else and is surprised to realize maybe everything isn't how he remembers it 10 years in the future and maybe theres a chance he can go home when hes older again. once again cdelphiki hitting me in the feels with this one, really amazing study on how time and pain can change how you perceive and remember things and also just forgiveness and fixing mistakes and accepting mistakes were made. very good, highly recommend

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors by Sophene, 80k, completed, batlantern, T. I have no excuse for this, this is such a fun and funny fic i love it so much. basically HOA president single dad bruce with his 10 million adopted kids and then hal jordan moves in next door and plays his music too loud at 10pm on a school night and throws parties and bruce has a stick up his ass about it. i really really love the shift in hal when kyle comes to live with him as his ward (? i cant actually remember if hes adopted or just a ward) and seeing him finally understand why bruce acts the way he does when it comes to his kids. also seeing bruce just being a tired dad 90% of the fic when he isnt glaring at hal is so good.

Option C by CasualGeek, 78k, completed, T. this has, in my opinion, a very unique and interesting premise. basically, what if instead of becoming red hood, jason comes back to gotham and manages to get Joker put on trial for the murder of sheila haywood and get the insanity plea thrown out. really interesting approach to batman and joker and jason technically doing things through the legal justice system and what that means for him and the people around him. very good, read it all in one sitting

butcherbird, fly away home by e_va, 41k, completed, M. lost days jason todd loml! basically what if when jason was off on his world tour one of his tutors kidnapped bruce wayne and jason has feelings about it against his will. "what if lost days jason was stuck in the same room as a sick bruce for more than 10 minutes and actually had to talk to him without punching him" AU and i throughly enjoyed it. @darlingatlas recommended this one and she never misses with the jason recs

this kind of weather by r_astra, 55k, completed, T. this is the fic something in the static was originally inspired by and if you know me, i love that series, and i love this fic too. another what if jasons mom didnt die until later and social services gets involved before he can bolt and bruce seeks him out with some very interesting news. i love fics that display jason’s relationship with crime alley and him being one of them. very good, i love jason so much

ok now these aren't actually long fics but i need to get them out here because i love them so much and highly recommend!

To My Brother by a_silly_gander, 7k, completed, T. Lost days jason au where he starts sending post cards from his travels to dick on a whim while we follow his time away and the people he meets. i love this one so much, please read it if you love jason and dick, its so special to me.

Enhanced Fashion Sense is a Perk of Being a Cat by 12pt_timesnewromanfont, 23k, complete, G. selina breaks into drake manor to steal a cat artifact and accidentally meets the drakes ten year old son they left home alone. then she starts keeping tabs on him and eventually adopts him and makes him stray. i really love selina finding tim before bruce and taking care of him <3 10/10 i wish selina would adopt me

[thedevilundercover]

I might write a fic that’s just Tim running around being a little shit.

Like imagine if Timmy started to go on like hacking forums in his teens bc he was bored and then he just became a little troll on the internet for shits and giggles.

It starts as a stupid dare one of his friends makes him, “I bet you can’t hack into the GCPD database” and Tim’s has had no fucking chill ever.

Then it slowly spirals until he becomes a well known troll on the internet. He has a distinctive tag with his hacking as well. He posted details important politicians doing shady shit, drug cartels, human trafficking gangs. Like every weirdo on the internet wants to kill him and Tim finds it hilarious.

He’s like a part time info broker for the criminal underworld

Until the red hood reached out to him for info and he seems weirdly familiar

Edit: I did write a fic abt this :)

Uhhh I gave timmy a gun so you're legally obliged to read about it now

[glitter-stained]

The public has requested fic recs for the hyper specific "dark mafia no kill rule reversal Jason comes back to the family angst but still there's love" trope, aka Jason Todd's platonic found family version of a dark romance, and so they shall receive: the five fics I've found on the matter, which I recommend especially if you enjoy protective batfam, angst and misunderstandings.

We happy few by sunsational96, it's really good writing if you're not afraid of stuff getting dark, unfortunately it has only two chapters yet but I hope it gets updated because it's so promising (only point I dislike is Jason being a cop but also given his family, I get it.) Tim is unhinged in it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42523731/chapters/106806804

The Safe Inside series by Dalee, the first work of which is "The Sun will Rise", which is complete and a satisfying conclusion to the story in itself.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25397782

Unrefusable Offer by Envisparkler, it's finished! Honestly I could have done with a third chapter because it's kinda angsty but it's really fun too, somebody give poor Jay a hug he's traumatized.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52124098/chapters/131834677

Choke by Chemically_Imbalanced, VERY similar to Unrefusable Offer (though idk which came first) so if you love reading different takes on the same idea and enjoyed one, I definitely recommend the other- also a real fun read, and it has the advantage of not being finished yet, so we might get more than just the two chapters, even if they're already fun on their own!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56516731/chapters/143631982

You liked Unrefusable Offer's take on dark!Dick and wish there was a short fic with his POV? Don't worry, here's sElkieNight60's extra add-on for that fic: Damned to Perdition. It's tasty, y'all.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53521066

@fhteehj

@hesztia16

@trust-and-jump

@dark-night-hero

@chaaannnah

@trashcanqueerie

@ohlooh

[quotidian-oblivion]

I WAS LEGIT TAKING NOTES WHILE READING THIS, THEY BALANCE CHARACTERS AND RELATIONSHIOS AND PLOT AND DESCRIPTIONS AND WRITING AND WORLDBUILDING SO WELL

[somefanficrecomendations]

Jason Todd-Centric Fic Recs

Is the fic really Jason-centric if its not overflowing with angst?

Ghost Story by InsaneTrollLogic (gen), 12k, Haunting, Unreliable Narrator It starts with the phantom sound of laughter, glimpses of motion just out of sight, a boy in a tattered Robin suit, and the sneaking suspicion that not all of Jason made it back from the dead.

prologue, part one: he's a rescue by ijustmightwing (gen), 2k, First Meetings Jason Todd met Selina Kyle with blood in his teeth and a wrench in his hand. Before Batman, Jason Todd meets Catwoman and learns a skill or two.

White Lighters / Afterglow by lurkinglurkerwholurks (gen), 3k, Whump Jason Todd was the worst kind of liar.

Requiem by scandalsavage (gen), 4k, Angst, Time-Travel He blinks as his brain takes it’s sweet fucking time processing what his eyes are seeing.      “So you’re me, huh?” the kid says, rocking back and forth from his heels to his toes like he can’t sit still for three god damn seconds.     “That’s pretty cool. You’re huge.”      Jason hates him. He hates those stupid fucking curls. He hates that stupid bubbly energy. He hates that fucking earnestness, that eagerness to please. He hates that goddamn costume.      He hates the way the kid clings to Bruce’s shadow.     He despises that hand Bruce has on his shoulder.

For Those Who Can't by GoAwayOlivia (gen), 8k, Case Fic, Violence They don’t understand him at all. There is no setting him off, that’s not the way it works. And he doesn’t go on violent sprees. Jason kills when the situation demands. That’s it. Plain and simple. He doesn’t lose his temper and murder any asshole that pisses him off. Every kill is a decision that he makes, and every decision is carefully weighed and measured with a cool head. He only ever kills because the person deserves to die.

It is only, and all about Roy by chucklesbuckles (Roy Harper/Jason Todd), 5k “Great, you fucked yourself and the rest of your Star City crime fighting pals, & now you’ve fucked me too. What did you do to the windows? Missile proof glass?” He dug around in his pocket, shooting Ollie a no doubt very dirty look.      “What are you doing?” Ollie asked, so very tired already of dealing with this shitshow of a human.      “Building a bomb. Duh,” he said, petulant.

The Whale by chucklesbuckles (gen), 10k, BAMF!Jason, POV Outsider, Prison Parker jumped down from the bed and drug a plastic chair from the rec room over. It’s legs screeched across the floor. “Now, I wanna be clear. I know you, rightfully, won’t believe me, but I don’t actually enjoy hurting people.” He climbed up on the chair, situated back by Colton’s knees. He leveled the hammer at his face. “I’m not, like, a sociopath.” He let out a musical laugh. “I honestly get a little squeamish with gore.” He patted Colton’s thigh with his free hand, blowing out a regretful breath. “I know what it’s like, you know. I was beaten half to death once. True story! The jackass did it all wrong though.” He reached up, patted his cheek.

Who You Needed by inki_Bat (gen), 6k, Time-Travel "He got another one?"      Bruce flinches. Visibly flinches. Steph makes a noise as if she's about to speak but her mouth clamps shut at a look from Dick. Jason steps closer, trying to get a better look. Another Robin is not exactly surprising, even with Damian still in the role. Infuriating, but not surprising.      But no, that isn't it. This all seems too familiar. Damian is staring at him with unconcealed nosiness.      "Bruce," he can hear his voice shaking. "What the fuck is that?"

[veruca4seether]

went crazy and made this

enjoy the fruits of my madness

[artisticbeings]

Looking for some Hurt/Comfort batfam content? Hurt Jason? Good Dad Bruce?

Delicate by Batmandaspands

Jason gets hurt by the Justice League while everyone else is on separate missions. Dick, Bruce, and Damian come to the rescue.

Ao3 Synopsis:

Regardless of how Red Hood is viewed throughout Gotham, the point is Gothamites know Red Hood gets shit done. So in any other situation Hood would have everything perfectly under control. But of course the situation at hand is anything but normal. No the situation at hand involves the fucking Justice League. Specifically a Justice League that is not privy to the intimate workings of the Batfamily™, and therefore a Justice League that knows the Red Hood as a serial killing crime lord whose ranking on the Most Wanted list sits right next to Batman’s most brutal rogues.

Lovely.

Or

Jason's attempts to keep his reputation as Gotham's worst crime lord after rejoining the family gets him in trouble with the Justice League.

[dukeofthomas]

More Jason Todd Fic Recs

A Temporary Good (Come to Those Who Deserve It) by RandomReader13

When the BAU is called in to track an unsub that's going on a killing spree spanning 3 states, they're expecting a rapidly devolving psychopath. What they get instead is a wise-cracking vigilante on a mission. Are they ready for the Red Hood? And is the Red Hood ready for them? AKA: “Okay,” Jason muttered to himself, shifting the car into drive. “Just a couple’a dumb feds. Nothing to worry about.”

The Daily Life of Red Hood’s Accountant by impravidus

The story of how Red Hood changes Crime Alley for the better, told from the eyes of his accountant.

Mama Red & The Ducks of Park Row by Eccentric_Grace

A toddler who was being saved by the red hood called him "mama" once and now crime alley kids will refer to him as mama all. the. time.

Five times Jason Todd quoted Shakespeare + One time he gave a fact instead by IzzyMRDB

Jason Todd is a Shakespeare nerd. You know this, I know this, everyone knows this. It is, in fact, so obvious because he will not stop quoting the man. Always, no matter the situation, he has a quote ready. At the very least, everyone can tell what mood he's in depending on what play he's quoting. They call it the Jason Todd Shakespeare Scale.

Breaking News! Brucie Wayne Getting Cozy With Crime? by elluv_asun

Bruce Wayne publicly adopts the crime lord Red Hood. The city is confused, but now that they're looking closer, the guy actually doesn't seem that bad…Or maybe he is.

How to Survive Gotham as a Goon by schrijverr

Late one evening, a goon is there to witness his boss – Red Hood – shoot at Robin. Which means he goes through the five stages of grief as he imagines all the ways Batman will skin them, trying to get Red Hood to stop before it’s too late, which only leaves him with more questions.

Needles or Pins by LanternWisp

Some dark details of Jason's past finally come to light.

Cicatrix and Cinnamon by bacondoughnut

Jason has a very bad night, Dick and Roy are there to help.

[101maverick]

@crymeariveronceagain I can only cry in silence and hope that conveys the extent of my appreciation.

This is so amazing? What the heck? This work just changed my brain chemistry.

It’s honestly amazing, and one of the best things about it is that it is so human.

The relationship with God, the ‘filial boldness’ as you called it in the comments (yes I have read all of the comments also), the “God speaking in the silence”, “listen for the silence”. I have no words. That’s literally my relationship with God, and you just gave me words for it! I’m amazed!

Also, i’m totally gonna use all this newfound knowledge to aid me in answering one of my asks, so tysm hihi🤭

Edit: by the way I shed tears. I Bawled. Multiple times. I really did cry you a river lol

Plus it’s only got 1376 hits?!?!? HOW?!?!

[tiredofsatansbullshit]

it’s been too long since i’ve posted any fic recs on here so here’s one of my favorite ao3 series that i just reread.

it’s a batfam series, jason-centric and i absolutely love the way the author has written these characters, especially jason. they really go deep into certain aspects of jason’s trauma and it’s a refreshing way of looking at things.

before you read it, just beware of the warnings - properly read the tags!!

[friendlyneighborhoodcapricorn]

Hello! I'm in dire need for some Jason Todd fics and you seem to have impeccable taste (this observation is formed from reading your fics). Do you have any recommendations? Preferably no ships, please. If this isn't the sorta thing you do, feel free to delete this ask!

Hi anon! I’m glad you my fics :D I’ve never done a rec list before, but first time for everything, right?

You might have read some of these already, but here goes:

Empty and Sleepless by mikkal but honestly, every single one of her fics is incredible, these are just two of my favourites

Don’t Get Too Close, It’s Dark Inside by batmoniker is an amazing one featuring Jason and fear toxin

Long Way Down (To The Bottom Of The River) by A_Canceled_Stamp focuses on Jason and Tim’s relationship with each other and is just overall such a good story

Backed Against A Wall by Sohotthateveryonedied has Bruce being forced to choose between saving a civilian and Jason

Also from Sohotthateveryonedied: Find Some Way To Survive which features a young Jason’s relationship with his mom

“Wish You Were Here” by Twisted_Magic focuses on Jason while he’s catatonic, but with his family and is absolutely beautiful to read

Jericho by johnil centers around Jason as he tries to mend his relationship with Tim

With A Hole In My Skull by valkyriered is focused on Jason having mood swings. The first chapter is in Tim’s perspective, the second is in Bruce’s and features Jason more directly

Take My Hand, Drag Me Down (If You Fall, Then I Will, Too) by verytiredtrashcan is my favourite fic of hers, but all of the ones she’s written are amazing

Sleepyhead by lurkinglurkerwholurks is an incredible read that I won’t give away too much because I don’t want to spoil the twist for you (you do need an ao3 account to read this one)

Finally, Silver Ink On Paper by sunlitlemonade is a short, introspective fic that’s definitely worth the read

Feel free to ask me for recs anytime, I quite enjoy doing this!

[thedevilundercover]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, DCU Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne Characters: Tim Drake, Alfred Pennyworth, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Original Characters Additional Tags: Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, he's meh at it, Orphan Jason Todd, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is... There, Jason Todd-centric, Hurt Tim Drake, Upcoming Tags Contain Spoilers, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Child Murder, Human Sacrifice, Fae Tim Drake, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, iffy time period, like a liminal space between 1800s to 1900s, Emotional Manipulation, Timmy is very fucked up, graphic-ish child abuse, Dead Jason Todd, Mediocre Sibling Dick Grayson Summary:

Jason had been alone for most of his life and he had thought that he’d remain alone for the rest of it. After all, everyone knew that the Crime Alley kids would never amount to anything; what with their shifty eyes and nimble fingers. That all changed when Bruce Wayne of all people adopted him. Now he is surrounded by glamour and glitz that he had never seen before and he has befriended the curious boy across the wall. What will happen to Jason in this strange new place?

[selivakyle]

Good Grief

Jason should stay in Colorado. There are things happening here that he’s sure he’s close to figuring out. And seeking out Talia isn’t something he’s sure he wants to do. Plus, he’s almost succeeded in leaving his entire life behind. Actively digging up the past won’t do anything to Jason except likely get him hurt. Again.

Damian is watching him though. The kid looks almost hopeful.

43,701 words | Chapters 28/28

[batfamfanficrecs]

hello! do you have any jason-centric whump fics?

Hi anon! I definitely have a few :)

With A Hole In My Skull by valkyriered

Sleepless and Empty by mikkal (but really, almost all of her fics fit this description!)

Dysania and My Blood For Your Love by Miles_2_Go

Bear Trapped by pinstripedJackalope

Enjoy!

[somefanficrecomendations]

Hi sorry to bother but do you know any fics where the batfam finds out that Jason is alive bc red hood makes some throwaway comment about him, misunderstandings happen and now they think Jason is friends with/dating red hood? Tysm

Hey Anon!

You're no bother I love answering asks! I think you're describing this fic:  dead ringer by punkrockhades which has exactly what you want! You might have read this fic already so here’s some similar stuff! Unfortunately there’s no set tag for this trope :((( So most of the stuff I was able to dig up had either some sort of ID reveal to the Batfam or had the “Jason is alive!!!” reveal. Similar in vibe if not plot.

prodigal by punkrockhades (Teen, 11k)

a robin (by any other name) by destiny919 (Teen, 3k)

My Secret Murderous Brother by timbitsandpieces (Teen, 5k)

dark sarcasm in the classroom by punkrockhades (Teen, 3k)

Jason Todd: Regular College Student by AddictedApple (Teen, 51k)

Grave Pretender by Ghxst_Bird (Teen, 4k)

Here are some fics that look like something you’ll enjoy, but I haven't had time to read them so I can’t offer any sort of guarantee in terms of quality/plot.

Homeward Bound by SpaceWall (Teen, 12k)

savior(s) of the broken by Aelig (Teen, 13k)

Finally, if you're looking for some filtered searches to browse here’s some suggestions!

Jason + ID Reveal

Jason + Identity Porn

Jason + Secret ID

[incorrect-mcdanno]

💙🩵💙

Feel like I’m so basic but Jason Todd with a crush and him having zero social skills and just being super clumsy despite being highly competent when he’s in the field. Crush is like real sweet and kind maybe a service worker ✨

anon u are so true and real for this bc jason is definitely an unsocialized cat when he has a crush 💓

jason todd x gn!reader. shyish/anxious jason with a big fat crush. baker reader. annoying customer. the duality of jason todd. 1.6k words.

also i fully believe that silently leaving huge tips as a way to flirt is like. a wayne trait. 100% that family does that bc of bruce.

prompt lists are here! i reblog all fics to @sanguinelibrary

****

Business has been slow.

It's not like you expect your cafe to be packed to the rafters all day long, but you've had a grand total of four customers today. One of them only came in to ask where Starbucks was.

Frankly, you're not sure the cafe can afford to stay afloat for much longer. Gotham isn't known to preserve small businesses, and the conglomerates (cough, Wayne Enterprises) are taking over the world anyway.

So today is a reading day. You might even close early.

You're at a table in the back, so absorbed in Poirot's sleuthing that you don't hear the door open. It isn't until you turn the page and look up that you see your resident lurker waiting quietly at the display case. You flinch so hard that you spill iced tea on your jeans.

"Shit," you murmur, grabbing a wad of napkins and patting yourself dry.

Jason (as is written on his coffee cup) looks up from the pastries, teal eyes wide. You smile briefly at him. For such a big guy, his footsteps are astonishingly soft.

"Is everything okay?" he asks, voice rough like he doesn't speak much.

"Yeah, fine. You just startled me—I didn't hear you come in. Were you waiting long? Sorry about that."

"Oh. No, I wasn't. Sorry." He shifts weight between his feet. "You seemed pretty engrossed in your book. I didn't, uh, want to disturb you."

"Oh, hey, don't worry about that! It's literally my job to be here," you say, though you can't help but melt over how freaking sweet that is.

Jason visits you a minimum of twice a week. He's been coming for a couple of weeks. You know a whole three things about him: he's a university student, he pretty much only dresses in red or black, and he's unfairly cute.

At first, you were reasonably wary of him because it's Gotham, and he's so damn quiet. It's a little scary. You thought maybe he was an undercover spy casing the joint. Now you know he's just awkward.

"Slow day?" he asks.

"Slow year, more like. How are you? How was your exam?"

He blinks. "Exam?"

"Didn't you have an American lit exam last week?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Wow. Yes, I did. It was okay. Got an A."

"That's great! I knew you'd ace it."

His cheeks turn pink. Okay, you actually know four things about him: he blushes a lot.

You go to start the coffee machine. "Do you think you'll—"

"I-I have to go."

You watch, stunned, as he hurries out the door. That's when you notice the fifty dollar bill in your tip jar.

You don't know if you should bring up yesterday. Jason's back; that probably means everything's fine, right? You're not sure if you said something wrong, though. You've gone over the interaction a hundred times since and you can't figure out why he's so skittish around you.

"Hi. Hibiscus tea, please," he says, stoic as always.

You prepare his order, yesterday's interaction still fresh in your head. You should say something, shouldn't you? Or...

"Sorry about yesterday," Jason blurts, so fast you almost miss it. "Running out, I mean. I was, uh—I forgot something."

Well. Looks like he's going to bring it up for you.

"Oh, you don't have to apologize! If I said something wrong..."

Jason shakes his head fervently. "No, God no. You're perfect."

Your eyebrows shoot up. He turns red this time.

"I mean—not perf—well, you're amazing, don't get me wrong! Except, like, what is perfect, y'know? My brother has gotten into the habit of calling everything perfection like some kind of sitcom character. Alfred will make pie, and Dick'll go, "Alfie, that was perfection." And I feel like it's such an exaggeration—"

Jason's mouth snaps closed. He rubs his forehead.

"Um, I actually have chronic foot-in-mouth disease. It gets really, stupidly bad. Sorry."

You're trying hard not to giggle. You want to smother him in frosting and take a bite.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" you say.

"I'm really not," he says with a sigh.

"Not true. Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

You go into the kitchen and return with your latest experiment: matcha cream puffs.

"Do you mind trying these for me? You're not allergic to anything, are you?"

Jason's shoulders hunch. "Are you sure you want my opinion?"

"Of course I'm sure," you say happily. "I trust you."

"You trust me," he repeats quietly.

"Yup!"

Jason takes a puff and bites. He starts to nod.

"It's really good. You're really—all your creations are—yeah. It's good."

You squint. "No notes? Really?"

"They're perfection, as my brother would say."

Fuck, you like him so much.

"Have another one," you say, pushing the tray towards him.

"I shouldn't—"

"Wait! I'll pack you some!" you interrupt, flitting back to the kitchen to get a Tupperware.

Jason helplessly accepts the container of puffs you shove into his hands.

"Let me pay-" he tries to say, but you shake your head.

"Nope! I won't accept payment for these. Not from my favorite customer."

"Your favorite?"

"My favorite," you confirm, grinning.

"Oh." His ears turn pink as he walks to the door, cream puffs in hand. "Uh, right. Thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Jason? Don't you want your tea?"

"Shit. Yeah." He returns to the counter and takes his drink. This he insists on paying for, so you let him, because you do have rent to pay, after all.

"So nice to see you!" you add, because the stiffness in his gait is kind of throwing you off.

He just nods, slipping out the door as quietly as he came.

Today, Jason's in a red workout tank. You have to make the conscious effort to not ogle his arms.

"Hey, Jason!" you say cheerily.

"Hi," he says softly.

"The usual?" you ask, and he looks up in surprise.

"You know my order?"

You gently roll your eyes. "Of course I know your order, silly. Favorite customer, remember?"

"Oh." He looks away, brow furrowed. Then he turns to you and his expression smooths over. "Yes, please. Thanks."

"Sure. Give me one second? I just have to finish decorating some sugar cookies."

"Take your time," Jason says, then goes to skulk by the window.

The door is suddenly swung harder than necessary, thumping the glass.

"Hey!"

You look up from the cookies. A man in a suit is waving his phone impatiently.

"I ordered a dozen muffins. Where are they, huh?" he demands.

"Oh, right! Well, you called ten minutes ago, so they won't be ready till six, sir. Can I get you something while you wait?"

He scoffs and stomps to the counter. You almost back down, but you don't; that's exactly what these bullies want.

"This is exactly why no one eats at dinky cafes like yours. You can't even do this!" he fumes, shoving a finger in your face.

"Sir, like I said, the muffins are baking..."

"I know the city's health inspector personally," the man spits viciously. "One call, and I can—"

"Say one more word."

You blink as Jason is suddenly between you and the customer, stood at his full height. He's all muscle and broad shoulders, looming over the guy. You peek around him.

"What the fuck, man?" the angry customer squawks. "Move!"

"No, you move," Jason says, tone lethal. "Sit quietly at a table and wait for your muffins to bake. Then you can thank the nice baker for waiting on your sorry ass and you're not gonna come back. They have far more patience for entitled fucks than I do."

"Fuck you," the man spits.

Jason calmly closes the distance between them and whispers in his ear, hand like a vice around the jerk's shoulder. You watch as he turns pale, eyes growing wider.

"Sound good?" Jason asks pleasantly, all teeth. The man gapes at him.

Wow. Yeah. This is really doing something for you.

The oven dings. You go to retrieve the muffins, packing them as quickly as possible. You give him the box and the man nods.

"Thanks," he mumbles, then scurries out of the store.

Jason turns to you, and it's like looking at a completely different person.

"You okay?" he asks, posture stiff like he's still prepared for a fight.

You nod, a little dazed.

"Yeah. Wow. Jason, I... you didn't have to do that. I mean, thank you for doing it, but..."

"Hey, that guy was a jackass. And if you have trouble with him or anyone else, call me, okay?"

This side of him stuns you. If you didn't know better, you'd think he had this exchange regularly.

"Call you?" you ask, smiling. "How will I call you if I don't have your number?"

He freezes, eyes wide. "Oh. Uh. Um..."

You lean over, elbows on your counter. He watches you. You cup your hand around your mouth, pretending to divulge a secret.

"This is where you, the cute guy who frequents my struggling cafe, gives me your number."

"You think I'm cute?" he asks.

"Devastatingly so," you say, grinning.

He's quiet for a long moment. Your smile starts to dim.

"Did I read this wrong?" you ask. "If I came off too strong..."

"No!" he says a little too loud. Jason winces. "Sorry. No. I... you're... fuck, I'm not good at this. I don't even really drink tea or coffee, to be honest. I just come in to see you."

"You do?"

Jason sighs. "Yeah. Shit. That's creepy, isn't it?"

You laugh and he visibly softens.

"No, Jason," you say warmly. "It's sweet."

"So can I still ask you on a proper date? Not coffee."

You grin. "That would be perfection."